Nosocomial bacterial and fungal meningitis in cancer patients.

Five cases of nosocomial meningitis are described that occurred within 5 years in a national cancer center in neutropenic cancer patients after cytotoxic chemotherapy: one caused by the yeast Aureobasidium mansoni and four caused by bacteria (two by Enterococcus faecalis and one by Salmonella enteritis and Arcanobacterium haemolyticus. Despite the severe symptoms, all cases were cured with appropriate antimicrobial therapy.